The present invention relates to an arrangement for acquisition of services via a telephone set, more specifically a reader which is coupled to the telephone. The reader contains a reader unit which, together with software, can handle smart cards. The reader can communicate with a receiver at the service provider end. The arrangement has a built-in keyboard for feeding in data.
The arrangement is controlled in its entirety from the telephone service which the service purchaser is ringing. This can be a voice answering equipment or any other equipment which is built for communicating with a reader for smart cards. The reader is controlled via any one of the two accessible communication channels.
It has previously been known to order services from a computer equipment via telephone. In this case, the computer is controlled with the aid of the key set on the telephone set and information is obtained from the computer in the form of speech which is generated by the computer. The user himself must keep track of all codes for identification and different instructions to the computer.
Automatic banking machines are also already known. In these, a card is introduced which identifies the user. The user then requests an amount and feeds in his personal identification code via the key set on the terminal. The automatic banking machines only provide limited services, withdrawal and account information, and the bank card only contains a code which identifies the account.
The present invention relates to an arrangement for the acquisition of services via a telephone set with increased possibilities. Several different services can be provided and the safety functions can be improved.
According to the invention, the arrangement comprises a communication element which couples the calling service purchaser to a service provider station with associated computer equipment. The communication element operates in conjunction with an identity element, preferably a smart card, for communicating with the computer equipment. The identity element is provided with information for identifying the service purchaser, among others.
Other embodiments of the invention are specified in greater detail in the subsequent patent claims. Service providers can increase the security of the existing applications or develop new services with the aid of the reader. Security is guaranteed by the security functions which are built into smart cards. Among other things, these cards can encrypt and sign electronic transactions which, together, have the result that service providers can offer very advanced services via the telephone network. A smart card which is used as information carrier can use the reader for transmitting the stored information items.